Dr. Veronica Montes
I provide short-term, solution-focused therapy for individuals who want to address a specific concern, gain practical tools, and create meaningful, lasting change. Whether you’re experiencing anxiety, stress, burnout, relationship difficulties, life transitions, or feeling overwhelmed, I offer a supportive and nonjudgmental space where we can focus on what’s most important to you. Together, we’ll identify your goals, build on your strengths, and develop strategies that help you move forward with greater confidence and clarity. I believe therapy is most effective when it is collaborative, personalized, and focused on your unique needs. While every person’s journey is different, my goal is to help you make meaningful progress in a relatively short period of time by providing evidence-based interventions and practical solutions you can apply in everyday life. If you’re an adult looking for focused support to overcome a specific challenge and move toward a healthier, more fulfilling life, I would be honored to partner with you on that journey.
First session
Your first session is an opportunity for us to get to know one another and begin building a collaborative relationship. We’ll discuss what brought you to therapy, the challenges you’re currently facing, and what you hope to achieve through our work together. I’ll ask questions about your current concerns, relevant personal history, relationships, work, and other areas of your life that may help me better understand your situation. You’re welcome to share at your own pace-there’s no expectation to tell your entire life story in one session. We’ll also talk about your goals for therapy and discuss how my solution-focused approach can help you address the specific concerns that matter most to you. Together, we’ll create a plan that is practical, individualized, and aligned with your needs. You’ll have plenty of time to ask questions about the therapy process, confidentiality, or anything else that is on your mind. My goal is to provide a safe, supportive, and nonjudgmental environment where you feel comfortable, heard, and respected from the very beginning. Many clients leave the first session with a clearer understanding of their concerns, one or two practical strategies to begin using right away, and a plan for the next steps.
Strengths
I believe meaningful change happens when clients feel both supported and challenged. My therapeutic style is warm, collaborative, and straightforward. I strive to create a space where you feel heard, respected, and understood, while also helping you identify patterns that may be keeping you stuck. Clients often appreciate that I am direct and honest. I won’t simply listen-I will actively engage with you, ask thoughtful questions, and gently challenge beliefs or behaviors that may no longer be serving you. My goal is to help you gain insight, develop practical solutions, and move toward the life you want. At the same time I lead with empathy. I understand that change can be difficult, and I believe growth happens best in an environment of trust, compassion, and respect. Together, we’ll celebrate your strengths, work through obstacles, and build the confidence and skills needed to create lasting change. If you are looking for a clinician who will listen with compassion while also helping you stay accountable and focused on your goals, we may be a good fit.
Ideal clients
I work with adults who are experiencing a specific challenge in an important relationship and are ready to create meaningful change. Whether you’re navigating conflict with a partner, struggling with family dynamics, feeling hurt by a friendship, or finding yourself stuck in recurring relationship patterns, I provide focused, goal-oriented therapy to help you move forward. My ideal clients are motivated to understand what’s happening, explore their role in the relationship, and develop healthier ways of communicating, setting boundaries, and responding to challenges. Together, we’ll identify a clear goal for therapy and establish a realistic timeline so we can measure progress and ensure our work is moving in the direction we want. In addition to relationship concerns, I enjoy helping clients strengthen their sel-esteem and challenge the negative beliefs that often fuel relationship difficulties. We’ll work to identify unhealthy thought patterns, develop healthier perspectives, and build the confidence needed to create lasting change. My approach is collaborative, direct, and solution-focused. I will support you with empathy while also challenging you to think differently, try new strategies, and stay accountable to the goals we’ve established together. If you’re looking for therapy that is focused on, practical, and designed to help you make measurable progress, we may be a great fit.
Treatment methods
Eclectic
At the foundation of my work is a belief that therapy should be built around you—not a predetermined formula or a one-size-fits-all approach. Every person brings a unique history, perspective, set of experiences, and personal goals into therapy, and I believe those differences matter. I strive to create a therapeutic relationship where you feel understood, respected, and genuinely heard. I take the time to understand your individual experiences and the meaning behind your struggles rather than simply applying a standard intervention or moving through a checklist of techniques. While I incorporate evidence-based approaches such as Attachment-Based Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Solution-Focused Therapy, I tailor these tools to fit your specific needs, goals, and readiness for change. Therapy is not about following a textbook—it is about working collaboratively to identify what will be most helpful for you. My role is to walk alongside you with empathy while also providing thoughtful feedback, perspective, and guidance when needed. I believe effective therapy requires both compassion and collaboration: a space where you feel safe to be yourself while also being supported in making meaningful changes.
Acceptance and commitment (ACT)
Life inevitably comes with difficult emotions, uncertainty, and experiences we cannot always control. Many people become stuck when they spend significant energy trying to avoid, suppress, or fight uncomfortable thoughts and feelings. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps clients develop a different relationship with those experiences. Using ACT, I help clients learn how to make space for difficult emotions while still moving toward the life they value. The goal is not to eliminate every uncomfortable thought or feeling, but to reduce the struggle with them so you can respond in ways that are intentional and aligned with your goals. Together, we will explore your values, identify what truly matters to you, and recognize the patterns that may be keeping you from living in alignment with those values. We’ll practice skills to step back from unhelpful thoughts, increase emotional flexibility, and make choices based on what you want your life to represent rather than being driven by fear, self-doubt, or avoidance. ACT can be especially helpful for clients who feel stuck in cycles of worry, self-criticism, perfectionism, or trying to control situations that are outside of their control. By learning acceptance, mindfulness, and values-based action, you can develop the ability to face life’s challenges with greater confidence and resilience. My goal is not to help you create a life without difficulties—it is to help you build the skills to navigate difficulties while continuing to move toward the relationships, experiences, and personal growth that matter most to you.
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
Our thoughts influence how we feel, and our feelings often shape the choices we make. When negative thought patterns become automatic, they can reinforce low self-esteem, anxiety, relationship difficulties, and behaviors that keep us feeling stuck. Using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), I help clients identify the unhelpful thoughts, beliefs, and core schemas that influence how they see themselves, others, and the world. These deeply held beliefs often develop early in life and can affect the way we interpret situations, respond to conflict, and navigate relationships. Together, we’ll examine whether these thoughts are accurate, helpful, or based on outdated experiences. Rather than accepting negative beliefs as facts, we’ll learn to challenge them with evidence, develop more balanced perspectives, and replace them with healthier ways of thinking. Insight alone is not enough. The goal of CBT is to create meaningful behavioral change. Once we’ve identified the thoughts and beliefs contributing to your difficulties, we’ll translate that understanding into specific, measurable actions. Whether it’s communicating more effectively, setting healthier boundaries, reducing avoidance, increasing self-confidence, or responding differently in relationships, we’ll focus on practical behaviors that support your goals. Throughout therapy, we’ll monitor your progress using clear, individualized goals so you can see how changes in your thinking lead to lasting changes in your behavior, relationships, and overall well-being.
Solution-Focused Brief Treatment
I believe therapy should provide more than relief from your current challenge—it should equip you with skills you can use throughout your life. That’s why I incorporate Solution-Focused Therapy into my work with clients. Rather than spending months exploring every aspect of a problem, we’ll identify a specific goal that is meaningful to you and define what success looks like. Together, we’ll establish realistic, measurable objectives and a timeline so we can evaluate whether therapy is helping you move toward the changes you want. My role is to help you recognize your existing strengths, identify obstacles, and develop practical strategies that you can begin using immediately. We’ll focus on what’s working, build on your successes, and make adjustments when needed to keep you moving toward your goals. What makes this approach unique is that you’re not just learning how to solve one problem. You’re learning a framework for solving future challenges. By the end of therapy, my hope is that you’ll leave with a set of skills you can apply whenever you encounter difficulties in relationships, self-esteem, communication, or other areas of your life. Instead of becoming dependent on therapy, you’ll gain the confidence and tools to navigate future challenges independently. My goal is for therapy to be effective, efficient, and empowering—helping you create meaningful change now while building the skills to continue growing long after our work together has ended.
Attachment-based
Our earliest relationships shape how we see ourselves, how we connect with others, and what we come to expect from relationships. These early attachment experiences often influence our self-esteem, our ability to trust, our communication patterns, and the ways we respond to conflict, rejection, or emotional closeness. In therapy, we explore how these early experiences may still be affecting your current relationships. You may notice recurring patterns, such as difficulty setting boundaries, fear of abandonment, people-pleasing, choosing emotionally unavailable partners, or feeling responsible for others’ emotions. Rather than viewing these patterns as personal flaws, we work to understand where they came from and how they have served you in the past. Using an attachment-based approach, I help clients identify these patterns, challenge the beliefs that keep them stuck, and develop healthier ways of relating to themselves and others. As we strengthen self-awareness and self-esteem, you can begin to respond to relationships from a place of confidence and security rather than fear, shame, or self-doubt. Because I believe therapy should be purposeful and goal-oriented, we don’t just gain insight—we translate that insight into action. Together, we’ll identify specific goals, practice new ways of thinking and relating, and measure progress over time so you can build healthier relationships and a stronger sense of self.
Location
Virtual sessions
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Licensed in
- CaliforniaLicense 29382